Exist to Exist - Birth Registration in Zimbabwe

During these unpresented times of Covid-19 we've been working tirelessly to adapt our work and support the needs of the community. We're proud to say that we've been working with Bubi District Hospital to help them prepare for cases with equipment such as hand sanitisers, gloves, masks and hand-wash stations. Support for this effort now has its own appeal if you'd like to support it (thank you).

We've also been working to ensure the latest information about safe practices reaches the public and we have drawn information from sources like World Health Organisation, John's Hopkins University and the BBC. Communicating with the people we usually serve is challenging as not everyone has access to a phone or mobile data so we've been using various means to help get the message out. 

At the same time we've been putting in place a number of safety measures to allow our staff to return to the office as quickly as possible and get out into the community where they can, (following social distancing protocols and safe practices) continue to deliver the essential services that gain young people their birth certification documentation and in turn access to services, legal advice and that silver bullet – education.

We’d like to take this moment to thank all those in the areas we work in who’ve done so much to protect their communities and save lives, and all of you who help us fund our work to see that the most vulnerable people are not left even further behind when this crisis struck.

Links:

• Bubi Hospital Appeal
• ZET Website
• ZET Twitter

This quarter we are happy to report the success story of Anisha and her grandmother and caregiver, Chelya. Anisha was born in South Africa and was brought to Zimbabwe by her mother, Samantha, upon her return when Anisha was six months old. However, due to Samantha’s chronic illness and inability to meet registration requirements, Anisha was an undocumented citizen and subsequently excluded from education. 

Chelya attempted to resolve the issue by approaching the Registrar General’s Office several times. However, her attempts were unsuccessful. In South Africa, Samantha used a pseudo-name to access maternal health. This meant that when Chelya tried to register Anisha, she could not prove that Samantha was her mother; it was Samantha’s pseudo-name that appeared on the health card, appearing that various essential registration documents did not match. 

After many unsuccessful attempts, Chelya approached the Trinity Project. Owing to the strong stakeholder relationship between the organisation and the Registrar General’s Office, Trinity Project successfully lobbied for the registration of the Anisha in line with the National Constitution of Zimbabwe (2013), the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of Children and United Nations Convention on the Right of the Child. As a result, Anisha managed to obtain a birth certificate represented by her grandmother instead. Anisha is now a registered Zimbabwean citizen and is enrolled in school. This also enables Anisha to access her various socio-economic rights associated with health and justice.

Anisha’s case represents the many children who are at risk of having their future compromised and being trapped in the vicious poverty cycle that will increase their risk of sexual exploitation, child trafficking, sexually transmitted diseases, teenage pregnancies, child marriages and more. Without access to identity documents, children are not visible in the eyes of the state and remain on the peripheries of official society. It means not being part of the national population register, disabling the state from providing adequate services like education and social services. They face challenges that those with access to identity documents will never face. The Trinity Project continues to work to protect and empower these vulnerable individuals.